Baked Nian Gao

I had the opportunity to eat this Baked Nian Gao when i was at a temple lunch and it was so delicious  but unfortunately the contributor could not be found and therefore no recipe.  I am sure there must be a recipe somewhere in the net, so googled and found an image of the cake which looked very similar to the one i ate.  It is HERE and i decided to try it and scaling down the recipe to a third.  The result is very acceptable and i think i should share with all my readers as it is a very easy recipe and can be made in a jiffy.

Orange and Lemon Chiffon Cake

I am sharing this more diabetic friendly recipe as it calls for less flour and sugar.  Baking too is different as this recipe is steamed baked with a lower oven temperature too.  To obtain a very fine texture, this cake has to rise above the cake pan and then for the last 20 minutes, it will fall back to the height of the cake pan.  The cake will only start rising at about 15 to 20 minutes and continue to rise.  This recipe will enable you to hand press to dislodge the cake.

Kuih Talam Revisited

Although my previous recipe Kuih Talam is ok but my need to tweak more for a better texture has been on my mind for the longest ever.  I think i have found what i tweaked is to my satisfaction and i have to post it, not for my own reference but for everyone or anyone who will be interested to make a perfect kuih talam. Sweetness is just nice, just as what kuih should be, sweet enough to please the palate and the tinge of saltiness is there, complementing the sweetness.  Oh yes, the richness of the coconut milk is just right from the whole can of CHAOKOH coconut milk which has 50% of saturated fat.

Orange Chiffon Cake Revisited

I would like to share this new method of heating up the liquid and mixing it to the dry ingredients while it is hot.  Also the sugar is sieved with the flour, salt and baking powder. It does give a finer crumb and improved the texture.  i too find that there is no need to add the sugar slowly while whisking the egg whites.  It makes no difference, so just add egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar all at once and whisk at a constant slow speed.(speed 4 in kitchenaid mixer)

Mothers Day Butterfly Cake

The ultimate tender, moist cake is really perfect for any special occasions as suggested at Baking Banter, King Arthur Flour Blog.  It is high rising with a moist, tender crumb and uses the paste method, so no need to cream the butter and sugar. Although a stand mixer is recommended for this cake, or a sturdy hand mixer, i used the food processor.

This cake was actually baked for Renee's 12th Birthday but i would like to dedicate this cake to all MOTHERS who have obligated to love you and that is the purest love on earth.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Kasutera - Japanese Honey Castella For Chinese New Year

Here is another cake which is deliciously sweet to serve to your guests during the Chinese New Year.  The green tea present will be auspicious and bring 'choy'/prosperity to your home. Kasutera aka Castella is a speciality of Nagasaki, this cake was brought to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century.  This cake does not contain any fat or butter but it is very moist and soft, the honey is the culprit, that is why sometimes this cake is called Honey Cake..  

Cream Cheese Chocolate Layer/Lapis Cake - Cakes For Chinese New Year

Everyone's oven has been working overtime in most Asian homes especially in Malaysia and Singapore.  The heat is on for baking cookies and cakes for The Chinese New Year Celebration.  How not to join in the fun????  Baking during this time of the year for us here in Colorado is so welcome as the oven heat warms up the kitchen and the aroma from the baking perfumes the whole house (all windows and doors are closed so tightly to prevent the effect of Polar Vortex).  

I will try to share as many recipes and i know you all will like this Cream Cheese Chocolate Layer/Lapis Cake which tasted better when kept, how appropriate to serve to guests who will drop by to 'pai leen' at whatever or whenever they wish.  

Orange Chiffon Cake

I am always happy to find people who, like myself, share the same passion for food,  or are passionate about cooking and baking with the same intensity but am happiest when my daughter, told me to look at her pictures in facebook.  Before i could log in to facebook, i thought that it would be pretty pictures of my grand daughter, but no, they were pictures of her bakings and cookings.  I was so proud of her, her butter marble cake was so well baked.  Now, i know we are in the same page, i have promised to teach her how to make Chiffon Cakes and for a start, i have to post this recipe which i have depended on to produce the best chiffon cakes ever.  My cousin, Audrey, who i have shared this recipe with, has been making so many successful chiffon cakes, more than i can count.

Deco Roll

My apologies to all my readers who keep on coming and visiting my blogs and finding no new postings - sorry!!!!!  no excuses.  Year 2013 has been busy, spring is over and summer is upon us, yard work is not done.  So much eating but did not share anything interesting.  I hope you all will find this Deco Roll interesting as it is so appealing and so fun to bake.  The best part is that the cake is so light and healthy, so acceptable.  You can use any design of your choice and this particular design that i chose had a strange way of sticky to me.  It was a recycled plastic bag which i used when i was packing my bags for my trip home from Malaysia. When i was home, I recycled it again and put in some dvds for my dear friend, Peng.  She was coming to collect them and i had to leave them on the bench outide the house as i was not going to be home.  Peng did come and collected her dvds but she left me a gift(3 lovely bittergourds) and she left her gift in the same recycled bag.  I just don't seem to rid of this bag and when i decided to bake this Deco Roll, I used the design, it was so lovely.  Thank you Peng for the gift and the bag which refuse to leave me.

Christmas Log

 

 

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year and

Bing Crosby, dream on, your dream will be coming true for us here this year, we will be getting A White Christmas.  So - Let It Snow, Let It Snow. Baby It's Cold Outside, Start the fireplace and gather your family around and have A Jolly Holly Christmas and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.  All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth would be Alexander's wish and Renee will be happy that her FROSTY is a rabbit and not melt away when the sun comes out like Frosty the snowman,  . We Wish you (all) a Merry Christmas.

Since it is going to be A White Christmas, I have made the Christmas Log covered with whipped cream and it has real shitake mushrooms.  Yes, these shitake mushrooms are a snack and so appropriate for my christmas log. 

Sharon and Sandra's Birthday Cake

Besides making Mooncakes for the Mid-autumn Festival which coincided with my daughter's birthdays, I have been busy making this cake for then.  Although my elder girl is in Malaysia and not able to taste the cake, my thoughts are with her during her birthday.  Sharon and Sandra, i hope this cake met both your satisfaction.  Happy Birthday to both of you.

Lego Pirates Of The Caribbean Cake -

It was my grandson Alexander's 7th birthday and the theme this year was Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.  Thank goodness they were pirates, i was so untidy and Jack Sparrow looked like he did not have a bath for a long long time.  It was fine with Black Beard as his beard covered up his dirty face.  Davy Jones was scary enough, his squid beard was more bushy to start with and some fell off.  

Opera Cake

I have always been fascinated about this cake - OPERA CAKE.  Fascination turned into Inspiration by looking at all the lovely pictures of this cake baked by so many.  At a glance of the ingredients, i can attest that it will be a very very rich delicious cake.  It is so rich that some said that it was served during the Intermission of Operas and it will help to keep spectators awake through the second half. It will not be so for those who cannot resist this decadent delight and have another helping, will stay alert from over indulgence.  I have found so many recipes but Joe Pastry's Opera Cake overwhelmed me with step-by-step instructions which was so clear and easy to follow.  Thank you, Joe Pastry for sharing.

This cake was made for a dear relative who turned 50 and being half a centenarian, deserve something special.

Wedding Cake - Double Happiness

I am still in sort of a shocking mode and this shocking experience had to be shared so that it is a reminder for myself and those who are going to attempt to use Fondant on a cake.  I would like to give caution to all these tips and to heed them with utmost importance so that you will not be in this same situation which i went through.  My greatest fear is that a cake will not be ready in perfect condition for the occasion, so i made the cakes way ahead and if it does not turn out well to my liking, i will have enough time to make more cakes.  The cakes turned out well, flat topped, only with slightly rounded edges.  I thought i could increase the height of the cake by not slicing away the round edges but this is the worst thought which will turn into a nightmare.  By not LEVELLING THE CAKES and using more buttercream to surffice the levelling, the possibility of the fondant will bulge and this was exactly what happened.  This cake was for a wedding rehearsal dinner on friday and i had it ready on Thursday - Good job, no stress and it looked so beautiful.  But wait, a few hours later, i noticed that one side of the fondant had a bulge.  What happened?????  i knew i smoothed out the fondant as well as i could.  Well, i tried to rid of the bulge but it did not improved.  Sandra said it was not noticeable but to me this was not acceptable.  So, i let it be for the night, come morning, i tried improving but the more i do, the worst it became.  So, i decided that i have to make a new fondant layer.  When i removed the fondant, the cake was so soft and did not hold it's shape.  What was i going to do????  All i could do was just stared at the cake in disbelieve.  Stay calm, don't panic!!!  It was already 11.00 am and the dinner is at 5.30 pm.  I don't think that i had any choices but to start making the cakes again.  Preheat 2 ovens and started mixing the ingredients for the cake.  Somehow, luck was with me, the cakes turned out good and all i had to do was to cool it fast.  As soon as it cooled slightly, i managed to find space in the freezer and put them in to cool.  In the meantime,  i made the buttercream.  As soon as the cakes were cooled enough,  i LEVELLED the cakes as level as possible and sandwiched them with the buttercream and iced the whole cake.  Back in the freezer for a short while, just to harden the buttercream.  I have already made a batch of fondant early in the morning, so by now, it should be ready to be rolled out.  The fondant application went on well and i managed to put back all the decorations by 3.00 pm.  What a task?  I am still amazed that the cake was actually ready.  Now, for the next task, i had to get the cake to the dinner party and being noted as the Queen of Lost, i had to call for directions 3 - 4 times before i arrived safely.  

I wished i had read these tips from The Cake Boss Preventing Bulging before i started to attempt making a Fondant Cake.